How to Stay Safe While Waiting for Help to Arrive After a Crash

People in Ohio typically only wait a short time for emergency responders to arrive when they or someone else calls 911 after a crash. However, waiting even a few minutes for help to arrive can seem like an eternity when you’re seriously injured. Sometimes, a short delay can be the difference between life and death.

If you or someone you love is ever involved in a crash, it’s important to call 911 right away and follow a few steps to stay safe while you wait for help to arrive. In this blog, we break down those steps and explain why they are important after a crash.

If Safe to Do So, Move Your Vehicle Out of the Path of Traffic  

If your vehicle isn’t too severely damaged and it’s safe to drive, move it out of the traffic path and to a safer location like the shoulder of the road or a nearby parking lot. Doing so reduces your chances of being involved in a secondary collision after the crash. These crashes may be caused by other drivers who fail to notice the stopped vehicles in time to avoid hitting them, or even by rubberneckers who become distracted by the sight of an accident and end up causing another crash.

Don’t worry about being cited for moving your vehicle after a crash. Ohio law protects people from being cited or automatically assigned fault for moving their vehicles after accidents. Moving vehicles out of the path of oncoming traffic after crashes is encouraged to protect victims and other motorists and resume traffic flow, as long as you don’t leave the scene of the crash without filing a police report when there is damage or injuries.

Stay Inside Your Vehicle if You Can’t Safely Move It Away from Traffic

Sometimes, moving your vehicle out of the traffic path is too dangerous after a crash. This is common after crashes on highways and interstates when other vehicles are traveling at high speeds and you need to cross multiple lanes of traffic to get to a shoulder, parking lot, or exit.

After a crash like this, you should instead remain in your vehicle after calling 911 with your seat belt fastened. While there’s still a chance you may be involved in a secondary crash, being buckled up and protected by your vehicle’s chassis and crumple zones can keep you much safer than if you exit the vehicle and are then struck by oncoming traffic while waiting for help to arrive.

Exit Your Vehicle and Move Away From It if You Notice Smoke or Flames

Modern vehicles can handle most crashes without putting their occupants in further danger. However, it’s still possible for modern and many older vehicles to catch fire after crashes. A fire in the engine bay of a vehicle is a life-threatening emergency for everyone inside and near it.

If you notice flames or smoke rising from your vehicle’s hood or anywhere else, exit the vehicle and get away from it and to a safe location as quickly as possible. Help others exit the vehicle if they’re having trouble, but don’t waste time attempting to retrieve personal items or possessions. The heat and smoke of vehicle fires can quickly overwhelm people inside and even near damaged vehicles.

Don’t Move Victims if They’re Unconscious

It's not uncommon for people in crashes to be knocked unconscious during the collision. In that case, leaving them where they are is important unless they’re facing an immediate life-threatening emergency like a vehicle fire. That's because car accidents can cause serious spinal cord injuries, and these injuries can worsen when victims are moved unnaturally or without stabilization.

Because you have no way of knowing if an unconscious victim has experienced a spinal cord injury, it’s important to avoid moving them. Instead, wait for emergency responders to arrive, as they’re trained to safely extricate victims from vehicles after crashes without putting them in further danger.

Don’t Attempt to Be a Good Samaritan if It Puts You in Danger

Too often, people who suffer only minor injuries or who witness crashes are seriously injured or even killed while attempting to assist other injured victims. For example, a Good Samaritan may cross multiple lanes of traffic on foot to reach a damaged vehicle and the occupants inside. This is extremely dangerous, as approaching motorists may not see the Good Samaritan or realize a crash has occurred in time to avoid striking them.

Instead, call 911 and stay on the line as long as the dispatcher tells you to. Provide the dispatcher with as much information about the crash scene as possible, including where it happened, the number of vehicles involved, and what injuries you are aware of.

Tips for Protecting Your Rights After a Crash

In addition to protecting your health and even your life after a crash, protecting your rights is also important. This involves taking a few steps at the crash scene and in the days ahead:

• Exchange information with the other driver and any witnesses.
• Don’t admit fault for the crash to anyone at the scene, including the other driver and responding police officer, even if you think you contributed to or caused it.
• Take pictures and videos of the crash scene.
• Get immediate medical attention after the crash, whether via ambulance or by arranging your own transportation to a local hospital or healthcare clinic.
• Call an experienced Cleveland car accident lawyer as soon as possible.

Our Ohio Auto Accident Attorneys Are Ready to Help

Car accidents are extremely stressful. Not only do they often result in immediate injuries, but they can even put you at risk of suffering additional injuries while you wait for help to arrive. At Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, we believe people who have suffered these traumatic experiences due to others’ negligence deserve maximum compensation.

We have nearly 100 years of experience fighting for the rights of injured people throughout Ohio. We’d love to use our experience for you and your family, too. Contact us today for a free consultation and to learn how we can give you peace of mind and comfort during this difficult time.

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